McDonough School of Business
McDonough School of Business

M.S. in Business Analytics Capstone

MSBA student smiling presenting chart to group of 4 peers

Gain Real-World Experience in Business Analytics at Partner Organizations

In the capstone project for Georgetown McDonough’s M.S. in Business Analytics (MSBA) program, you’ll apply the concepts, methods, and tools learned in the program to a challenging business analytics problem with a local, national, or global organization. You and a group of your peers will showcase the abilities you’ve gained in the MSBA program by addressing business issues in real time.

As you move through the capstone project, you’ll hone your skills with analytics tools, business functions, computing and technology, and value-based data analytics. Capstone advisors and professionals at our partner organizations will help you grow while you address real-world challenges and opportunities. In addition to experience, the connections you cultivate with your peers as you tackle complex business challenges will last a lifetime.

By tackling these high-impact projects, you will have the opportunity to engage with critical issues in various industries. The project teams, carefully selected to align with the needs of each project, work with top-tier partners to deliver actionable insights and innovative solutions. Leveraging advanced tools and software like Python, R, SQL, Power BI, Tableau, cloud-based platforms, and natural language processing techniques, you will be well-prepared to drive meaningful change and excel in your career in business analytics. See our frequently asked questions below for more information.

“Our capstone projects span diverse fields, addressing real-world challenges through rigorous data-driven methodologies. These projects cover a wide range of topics, including business transient analysis, IT investment identification, cross-platform viewing forecast and optimization, fairness and bias in developing machine learning models, transparency in generative AI, sports analytics, climate risk assessments and their impact across different sectors, customer analytics and sentiment analysis, supply chain optimization, predictive maintenance for manufacturing, and retail sales forecasting.”

Babak Zafari, MSBA Academic Director

Learn Applicable Business Analytics Skills

Over the course of two semesters, you’ll work with Georgetown’s faculty advisors and a group of other MSBA students to:

“I felt that I truly got to know my peers through our teamwork, not only as collaborators on assignments but as people. This is not easy to achieve in an online program. The MSBA excelled at it.”

Yianna Vovides (MSBA’23)

Learn more about how students used their capstone projects to help real organizations wrangle data into actionable information.

Take a Journey Through the Business Analytics Capstone Project Timeline

Your experience with the MSBA capstone project will feel like functioning in an organization instead of completing coursework. Rather than moving toward a prescribed outcome, the capstone project mimics the workplace by emerging organically from insights based on the data collected. To pace the capstone project appropriately, student groups adhere to the following timeline of project milestones.

graphic depicting capstone timeline: month 1 kick-off the project with sponsors. define the scope of the project and prioritize objectives. month 2 conduct a background review, collect, integrate, and explore data. at the end of capstone course 1: create an analytical plan and provide preliminary report on findings. month 3 analyze data, build models, and drive insights. month 4 validate models and create final deliverables. month 5. at the end of capstone course 2: final report and presentation to the sponsors.

Our Partnership Organizations for the Business Analytics Capstone

We’ve partnered with incredible organizations for you to work with on your MSBA capstone projects. Our partners ensure that you gain the real-world experience you need to prepare for success in the business world. Below is a list of some of our past and current capstone partner organizations:

A&E Network Capco Census Bureau Deloitte Consulting Elutions Georgetown University Athletics Gray Associates Marriott SAS Spirit AeroSystems U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development U.S. Green Building Council Virtus World Bank

“When I first started the MSBA curriculum, I thought I was here for the piece of paper to show employers that I can do some of the job criteria they are asking for in the growing space of data analytics. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I actually learned and felt like I was gaining an applicable skill.”

Gabriel Mendez (MSBA’23)

“The MSBA program has provided me the opportunity to meet and work with people from a diverse range of backgrounds while being able to learn valuable skills from the coursework.”

Yo Sasatomi (MSBA’23)

Examples of Business Analytics Capstone Success

Our capstone projects span multiple industries, including government, finance, healthcare, sports, and education. Students work closely with sponsoring organizations to address critical challenges, leveraging data-driven solutions and innovative methodologies. By collaborating with industry leaders and applying advanced analytical tools, students are equipped to tackle complex problems and drive meaningful change in various sectors. This practical application of advanced analytical techniques in real-world scenarios is a cornerstone of the MSBA program, equipping students with the expertise needed to excel in the field of business analytics. Here are examples of the projects our students have completed.

This project involved analyzing reservation data for business travel to identify trends and changes in demand. The goal was to provide actionable insights for strategic decision-making by comparing historical performance with recent data.

The objective was to assist in identifying key IT investments and corresponding program offices for future engagement. This included developing a descriptive dashboard and working towards a predictive model for investment targeting.

The project aimed to create insights into audience viewing habits across various platforms. The goal was to develop a forecasting tool to guide optimization tactics for upcoming program premieres.

Focusing on enhancing trust in AI systems, this project aimed to track and record data used for training and fine-tuning AI models. The deliverables included ensuring data traceability and managing risks associated with open-source data providers.

The project predicted program size and margin to help educational institutions evaluate new program opportunities. The objective was to calculate the ROI of programs for the institutions.

The goal was to create a hub-like system to store and present data on athletes’ performance. This system was designed to be adaptable for performance coaches, sport coaches, and athletic trainers to interpret data effectively.

This project aimed to quantify the impact of climate change on mortgage programs by developing models to identify risks and inform policy decisions. The deliverables included regression modeling and performance testing to evaluate updated models.

The project focused on integrating various climate, service, and socio-demographic risks to inform the prioritization of health interventions. The outcome was an integrated risk index to assist policymakers in making health systems more resilient.

This project aimed to analyze customer feedback and sentiment data to improve product and service offerings. The goal was to develop models that identify key drivers of customer satisfaction and inform strategic actions.

This project involved structuring and analyzing unstructured documents to identify trends and patterns over time. The goal was to inform strategic planning and data collection efforts by extracting and analyzing recurring recommendations, focusing on unresolved themes and issues impacting various stakeholder groups.

The objective was to analyze and optimize supply chain operations for efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The project involved developing predictive models to forecast demand and optimize inventory management.

This project focused on developing predictive maintenance models to minimize downtime and reduce maintenance costs. The goal was to use machine learning techniques to predict equipment failures and schedule timely maintenance.

The project aimed to develop forecasting models to predict retail sales and optimize inventory levels. The objective was to provide actionable insights to improve sales strategies and inventory management.

Meet Our Project Advisors

During the capstone project, your team will work directly with program leadership to apply your business analytics skills and meet your goals. Other relevant MSBA and Georgetown faculty experts will serve as project mentors, as needed.

Babak Zafari

Associate Professor of the Practice and Academic Director for the Master of Science in Business Analytics Program
Academic Director, Master of Science in Business Analytics

Ben Dussault

Associate Professor of the Practice

MSBA Faculty

Partner with the McDonough School of Business

Georgetown McDonough is always seeking additional partners for the MSBA capstone project. The MSBA program accepts proposals each spring for additional capstone project partner organizations. By becoming a partner for an MSBA capstone project, your company can provide a real-world learning experience for Georgetown students while working through data-driven solutions to your unique challenges. Learn more about how organizations can get involved with Georgetown McDonough. 

Get in Touch About Capstone Partnerships

Reach out to the MSBA program team for more information about becoming a Georgetown capstone partner. They will walk you through the proposal process and what the capstone project will entail.

Learn more

Business Analytics Capstone FAQs

A capstone course gives you the opportunity to apply what you’ve learned in a real-world project with an organization in need of solutions.

In the capstone project for the MSBA program, you’ll apply the concepts, methods, and tools learned in the program to a challenging business analytics problem with a local, national, or global organization.

Capstone projects are team-based, with the program forming teams to ensure a diverse set of skills and experiences are brought together to address the project goals.

Students are assigned to capstone projects based on the program’s assessment of their skills and interests. While we aim to align projects with students’ expertise and career goals, specific project assignments are not guaranteed.

Yes, you will work directly with project sponsors throughout the capstone project. This collaboration helps you gain real-world experience and insights from industry professionals while addressing the sponsors’ business challenges.

Contact Our MSBA Team

MSBAadmissions@georgetown.edu
Call Today: (202) 729-9995

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